One small word at a time.

I was going to be the mom that always explained things to her children like an adult. That's how you gain intelligence, when people speak intelligently to you! I was not going to "dumb down" my vocabulary to speak with my miniature adults! Descriptive language is the key to growing better language skills! Every situation is an opportunity to learn!

Including today's trip to the grocery store:

We go through the store and I label as much as I can while I shop. Shopping is an educational field trip, he can build his vocabulary from me simply telling him the names of groceries! We finish and head to the car, only to be faced with a downpour...

"Oooooh. It raining. Raining. Raining." Ian helpfully points out from the "car" in the front of the shopping cart.

Everyone is standing around at the door, waiting for their significant other to go fetch the car. Or, reaching down into the cart for the umbrella and confidently walking out. A few brave souls run through the rain with a few bags and manage to only be half-soaked to the bone. My first temptation is to be frustrated, but you know what...I'm woman, here me roar! Thank God for those fun shopping carts...Ian is sheltered from the rain in his car, "driving."

"Turn on your windshield wipers, Ian, we're going out in the rain!" I pop out the "awning" on Zoe's car seat and we go out into the deluge. It's water people, and nothing will stop us now!

"Remember, Ian, you have to drive carefully in the rain because the roads are slick."

My super-smart little toddler intently steers his car while beeping the squeaky horn.

I get the kids (and groceries) loaded into the car, and I'm feeling pretty proud of myself! Here I am, mom of 2 kids: I'm smart, I'm resourceful, I rock! (Well, I'm also dripping at the moment, but that's ok...it's just water). Sitting in the dry car I can now relish in the fact that we've made it through another trip in one piece, and learned a lot of helpful things simultaneously!

Ian starts chanting, "Mommmmeeeeeee, booooobooooo. Mommmmmeeeee, boooobooo." I look back, and he's picking at insect bites. I am focused on being the only person who can actually drive in the rain.

"Yes, those are your bug bites from earlier. Remember when the bugs bit you? It leaves a raised part of your skin and takes a while to heal. Stop picking at your bites," I tell him, "Your booboo can only heal if you don't pick at it." Another wonderful learning opportunity!

"Mommeee, it hurt. Booboo. It hurt."

Thoughts of clotting cells, and the biology of a wound were hovering somewhere beneath the surface. After all, I don't need to talk to him like a baby.

"Ian, bug bites sometimes take a while to go away. You have to let it heal."

What was I expecting? He's suddenly going to get this? "Booobooo. Booobooo. Booboo!! It hurt!" He continues to pick at it.

"Don't touch your booboo, Ian. Leave it alone. It needs to heal."

"Mommeeee, booboo hurt. It HURT!" Now he's scratching at it with vigor.

My brain is now no longer with me. It is in the swirling vortex of planet mom. It has been replaced with jello.

"Ian, stop picking at your owie! You're going to make it...owier!"

He instantly stops picking and resumes kicking the back of the seat.

There you have it, folks. Owier.

As soon as it passed from my lips, I couldn't help but smile and laugh at myself. I'm a mom for sure. I'm helping my child build his vocabulary! One small word at a time. :)


A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. - Proverbs 25:11